Re: loose stool

[Nina]

Michelle, You answered a couple of questions for me that I just wrote you in an off-list post.  I understand given your history with cancer why you would worry about lymphoma, but if Patches immediately goes back to normal stools when you change her diet, it seems a pretty good bet that it has to do with that.  I'd take her off the flagyl, if it was going to help, I think it would have already and it's a pretty nasty abx.  If it were me, I wouldn't be considering taking her to the vet at this point.  I would call them and ask for diet suggestions, (not that I put a lot of faith in vet's opinions about diet!).  I would consider adding a bit of rice bran, and/or pumpkin to her diet to see if it has any effect. N [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi. I am deciding whether or not to take Patches to the vet. I already made and canceled one appointment. She is positive, and recently, for no apparent reason and with no diet change, went from having one solid stool per day to having 3-4 very loose stools. I have had her on metronidazole (flagyl) for almost a week with no change. When I put her on w/d food for 2 days, it completely cleared up and she had one solid stool again. But she can't stay on that because she has urine ph problems and needs more acidic food. So I put her back on her normal diet (s/o mixed with Felidae), and the problem started again immediately.  What I am worried about most, of course, is intestinal lymphoma. But she is eating a normal amount and acting normal, just this change in stool. She did vomit this morning, but she has always done that on and off when I do not give her Laxastat for hairballs, which I have not done recently because it is also a laxative.   Do you think I should bring her to the vet to have her abdomen palpated, etc.? I was thinking of dropping off a stool sample this morning on the way to work and then making an appointment for tomorrow or Friday. I hate to stress her with vet visits unnecessarily, though. Does anyone have any thoughts? Do you think that the fact that w/d cleared it up means it is not lymphoma? What else, besides something that should respond to flagyl, would cause this problem all of a sudden?   Thanks, Michelle